Not one of the fathers of our industry did more design work than Vivian Hollinshed. Over his 55 active years, on the small drafting board behind his desk, this magnificent man named Vivian crafted countless fine homes and innovative commercial buildings. All the while pioneering trusses in a stick framed market, and building an outstanding business.
Early on, at his father’s Cape Fear Building Supply in Fayetteville, North Carolina, Vivian foresaw the need to separate, literally with a fence, the truss business, newly named Comtech, from the lumber business. Vivian’s late brother Joe, and later his son Tom, managed the lumber yard next door as an independent entity. When Stock Building Supply offered to buy both businesses, but settled for the lumber yard, Comtech continued to prosper, and Tom came to run the truss plant.
Entering the lobby of Comtech you’d see Vivian bent over a design challenge, through the glass walls of his office. When he spotted you, he’d flash his wry smile and he’d summon a witty quip from his brilliant mind. If you asked Vivian for a truss price, he’d tell you to place your request in the larger of two stacks. When asked why not the smaller stack, Vivian would remark, “Those plans don’t need bids.” As a further testament to his design acumen, if the foundation on the plans was inadequate, Vivian would redesign it. As an indication of his passion for accuracy, he’d perform the final QC check while his trusses were on the delivery trailer.
While we have lost another founder, Vivian, like Dwight Hikel, is survived by a fine son, Tom Hollinshed. Tom, like Joe Hikel, took Comtech to new heights under the watchful eye of his father. Tom revamped, enlarged, and automated his plant. He incented his design staff and conquered new markets. Tom greatly contributed to our industry as a founding member of the North Carolina SBCA Chapter. He collaborated closely with state code officials and developed the data, with Kirk Grundahl, that freed truss designers of a code dictate that attempted to impose wall design responsibility on our industry.
Vivian’s legacy endures most powerfully in the people he nurtured and mentored. John Freeman, Carol Dees, and Chuck Rogers are just three of those who he powerfully influenced.
As Vivian has left us far too early, I am reminded of his playful humor at a time he had to leave the office early, when Vivian said, “He had to go see a sick aunt.”
I loved and revered the man. It was a great honor to know him and serve him.